1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a feeding device having a mounting portion which mounts media thereon, a feeding roller which feeds the mounted media, and an edge-guide which moves in a widthwise direction of the media which traverses a feeding direction of the mounted media and aligns both sides of the mounted media, and a recording apparatus having the feeding device. In this specification, examples of the recording apparatus include an ink jet printer, a wire dot printer, a laser printer, a line printer, a copier, a facsimile, etc.
2. Related Art
In the past, as disclosed in JP-A-2002-128286, a recording apparatus included a feeding roller which feeds paper and a hopper which can approach and depart from the feeding roller and on which the paper is mounted. A pair of edge-guides for guiding the paper in the widthwise direction of the paper is disposed in the hopper in a manner such that the edge-guides slide in the widthwise direction. Accordingly, when setting the paper, a user broadens the width of the edge-guides by moving the edge-guides in the widthwise direction first, and then mounts the paper on the hopper. Subsequently, the user aligns both side ends of the paper by causing the edge-guides to slide in a narrowing direction of the edge-guides. As a result, it is possible to feed the paper in a stable posture of the paper.
However, when the edge-guides slide to predetermined positions, in the case in which stiffness of the paper mounted in the hopper is relatively weak, the paper is pushed inward by the edge guides and therefore there is a possibility that a middle portion of the paper in the widthwise direction curves as if it floats up. In other words, the edge guides are positioned to be spaced apart from each other by a distance which is smaller than the width of the paper, and therefore the paper is likely to curve in the widthwise direction. In such a case, there is a possibility that the paper cannot be placed at a predetermined position. When feeding the paper, back tension which is frictional force between side ends of the paper and the edge guides increases.
In the case in which the number of paper sheets mounted in the hopper is small, for example, 1 to 3, the paper is also likely to curve in the widthwise direction.
That is, since the stiffness of the mounted paper is weak, there is the possibility that it is impossible to align both side ends of the paper with high precision. In such a case, positions of the paper sheets in the widthwise direction vary and therefore there is a possibility that recording positions with respect to the paper sheets vary. As a result, there is a possibility that it is impossible to perform good recording.